Cotton Cloth Making

Havana artisan makes guayaberas for the famous

HAVANA (AP) — Under fluorescent lights and a whirling ceiling fan that is no match for the Havana summer morning heat, Emiliano Nelson Guerra traced a pattern onto a bolt of pink cotton cloth and carefully scissored the edges.

Intermittently pulling on a fat cigar, he explained the significance of the "guayabera," the roomy, collared, four-pocketed dress shirts that Cubans wear to look spiffy on this tropical island where neckties are practically extinct.

"The guayabera is nothing less than the typical Cuban garment," Guerra said. "It's our image, so you always have to try to make it look its best."

Guerra, a 49-year-old with closely cropped hair and a receding hairline, is Cuba's shirtmaker to the stars. Known as Nelson to his friends, he has spent the last two decades establishing himself as Cuba's leading designer of the guayabera, which the government last year decreed the official formal attire for state functions.

He has hand-crafted shirts for international luminaries from American singer Harry Belafonte and British pop star Sting to Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, and Prince Albert of Monaco. E'Nelson Collection designs have exhibited in shows and fairs and been worn by world-renowned Cuban musicians like Chucho Valdes and the late Compay Segundo, of Buena Vista Social Club fame, and they're also in demand by wealthy foreigners and well-heeled Cubans up to the highest levels of government.

"One time I even made a guayabera for 'el comandante,'" Guerra said, referring to former President Fidel Castro, known more for his affinity for military attire.

Guerra recalled the first time he met American actor Danny Glover, who has cultivated close ties to Cuba, about a decade ago at a film festival in Havana. He asked the "Lethal Weapon" star about the shirt he was wearing, which turned out to be an artesanal African garment. The shirtmaker soon found himself hurriedly assembling a bone-white, embroidered masterpiece that he gave to Glover the last night of the festival.

"He tried it out immediately," Guerra said. "He took off the shirt he was wearing, put mine on and said, 'Excellent.'"

A year later the actor was back in town without the guayabera.

"He wasn't wearing it. Instead he told me, 'I want another one!'" Guerra said, breaking into laughter at the memory. He said he has made three shirts so far for Glover.

Working under a Cuban law that lets artists and craftspeople operate independently, Guerra and his three assistants churn out 80 to 100 guayaberas a month.

Cotton Cloth | Sleep Baby

Cotton Cloth

While shopping for clothing you have probably seen those tags that state that this shirt or that skirt is made from organic cotton without ever really knowing what that means. Of course you have probably assumed that organic cotton like organic fruits and vegetable has been grown without the use of chemical insecticides or soil additives. You are correct. That is exactly how organic cotton is grown. However, once that cotton leaves the fields and is sent to the textile mills that organic cotton from the plant could become non organic cotton clothing.

In order for organic cotton to be turned into organic cotton clothing, not only must the cotton be grown without chemicals but the material and the cotton clothing also must remain chemical free. This means that no bleach or chemical dyes may be used when making cotton clothing. Instead natural fruit and vegetables dyes are used, meaning that organic cotton bathrobe you got for Christmas was made entirely without any chemicals.

Benefits of Organic cotton clothing

There are many benefits to buying and wearing organic cotton clothing. First, as you already know organic gardening of crops helps the environment. Every plant that is organically grown means that there are that many fewer chemicals being released into the soil and the air which helps to reduce the amount of land, air and water pollution. But, organic cotton clothing not only benefits the environment but, benefits your family as well.

When cotton is grown using chemicals those chemicals or at least part of those chemicals stay on the plant and actually become part of the cotton fabric. That chemical fabric is then subjected to bleaches and chemical dyes adding more chemicals to that article of clothing. When you put that clothing on your body you are in essence surrounding yourself with harmful chemicals which can cause skin rashes and breakouts. Over time some of those chemicals in your clothing soaks into your skin where they could cause added health problems.

Which means that organic cotton clothing is not only better for the environment but, better for your family’s health and comfort as well. In addition organic cotton made with no chemicals actually feels softer making it more comfortable to wear.

Doesn’t it seem a little strange in an era where we buy organic food and make our vegetable and fruit juices fresh from organically grown food and vegetables, steam clean our homes to limit our access to dangerous chemicals and even choose body washes that are chemical free that we then turn around and put clothing packed with chemicals on our bodies?

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